New Ulm weekly review., 1887-03-02
THE DANCE OF DEATH.
FROM THE "sOUTHERN BIVOUAC."

threshold Of the building he had hesi-
tated, but the power of habit is strong,
and for five years it had been his hab-
it to spend from one to three hours
daily in the luxurious apartments set
apart for the choice spirits composing
the club.
He had hesitated on this occasion,
not because he had ever failed in be-
ing a welcome accession to the groups
OF young men usually to be found
engaged in the occupations OF the
place, but, without doubt because OF
unusual circumstances environ1ng his
own personality. For the fact is, i
was the morning OF Darby's marriage
day.
That evening the multiform benefac-
tions Of the gods to him were to be
crowned by the gift of a wife Of his own
hearts choosing. Under these circum-
stances, therefore, it was, perhaps,
natural that the bridegro ON elect
should have hesitated to brave the at
tention his presence was sure to call
forth in the rooms of the club. Luck
lily when he entered there were not half
a dozen fellows present, and these were
in group at one of the tables, evil
IDENTIFY engrossed in the discussion OF
some subject calculated to divide in
terest with the topic naturally suggest
ed by the unconscious self-conscious-
ness of the new arrival.
They were highbred young bloods,
those of the Jockey Club. The court
esy of their greeting to Darby may
| have been O. trile more pronounced
than usual, that was all. Not the lift
of an eyelid as they made room for
him, betrayed cognizance OF thehappy
destiny they knew to be imminent for
him. His best man expectant, Hardin
Golden, displayed admirable tinesse
in setting all parties at ease. ..-..
"We have just been discussing the
freak of fate which has victimized
poor Darrow," he said addressing
Darby.
"Darrow-what of him?"
"Man alive! Have you not heard?
Why, the morning papers are full o1
the shocking occurrence"
"The paperes l have neglected to
look into; III have been otherwise
engaged" stammered Darby.
| Hardin nodded.
Il understand. Well, Darrow poor
fellow, met an awful death last even.
ing"
"It can't be possible! Why, I walk
ed with him on Carleton Terrace as
late as 6 o'clock, and when I parted
from him he told me he was going
directly home"
Eyes. Yet it was not two blocks
distant from the terrace where he was
tripped by the trailing loop of a tele
graph wire. AS fate would have it, at
the same moment there was q train
running at full speed upon the elevat.
ed road above; the buffer caught in the
wire, and the locomotive rushed on,
dragging the coils in which Darrow
poor devil, was being tossed like q
shuttlecock. Over and over he was
whirled, till the wire broke, and he
was dropped into an obscure street
| mangleu ana ll1eleSS.
Darby shivered; he made no com.
ment. It was on awful story to have
heard on his bridal morning. How
might q mortal brlbe Fate who
rode as in the car of Juggernaut, grind.
ing out the lives of the happy and
wretched alike?
! The f1ippancy of Bret Crosby Jared
upon his mood:
'1t strikes me that's about the
style Deaths adopted these latte,
days." commentsd that young fash.
ionable breaking the silence. '.He's
an ill-mannered monster that's net
got the politeness Of a French dancing
master when he pounces upon and
waltzes off to destruction with fel
low, as he's done with Darrow.'
\ "F'ata viam invenient," muttered
Grantly. ''There were Giles, Fleming
| and Hoyt as well as Darrow.''
1 There was an uncomfortable pause
The tragic deaths which had befaller
the quartette of their members in the
past eighteen months were not en-
livening events to revert to.
''iFhe mare that broke Fleming.s
neck had been landed but week i1
the country from Arabia" said Bret
Cosby; zone would think she had
crossed continents, and seas, spurred
of the three fateful hags, SO speedily
did she accomplish Fleming's doom
on her arrival =
The fate that overlook Tom Giles
was less strange, . commented Hardin
was a chance in q thousand re
| be struck, 5at.a distance Of fifty feet,
by pin from q passing locomotive is
! to me the very irony Of fate. - s. ,.I
The attempt at pleasantly evoked
but feeble smile. The subject was
one that struck uncomfortable upon
the nerves Of the group.
Golden shook himself together. sIt
would be the splitting of a hair to
j me 9, he said cunicallxz t.to .,aa ,ro